Song ID: Indie/Electronic "love song"

December 7, 2010 7:32 AM

Song ID request for help: Some time ago I was listening to an indie rock radio station (probably 89.3 the Current) and I heard a song that I really enjoyed. I wrote down the date/time it was played and as many lyrics as I could get down. Unfortunately, I have since lost the slip of paper and have only a few scant clues to go off of. Here's what I remember: - It was a heavily digitized (vocoder?) voice, and sort of electronica-y, in the sort-of indie rock fashion (not like in the club or at a rave fashion). -The chorus included the lyrics (as best I can recall) the following fragments: "even though you really love [him/her]" and "...only causes you pain." I know how terribly little this is to go off of, but I figured if I had a shot anywhere, it would be here!
posted by chrisph to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Is 'some time ago' weeks, months, years? Even a rough estimate of that would probably help.
posted by corvine at 8:19 AM on December 7, 2010

Something from The Apples in Stereo's Travellers in Space and Time? Robert's on a serious vocoder kick right now.
posted by scruss at 8:43 AM on December 7, 2010

Response by poster: Corvine: It has been months, unfortunately. Hence the reason I remember so little of it. I literally woke up thi smorning with it in my head, and it's driving me crazy.

Scruss: That sounded very likely, unfortunately it's not Apples in Stereo I'm pretty sure, now.

Thanks for the help, guys.
posted by chrisph at 9:21 AM on December 7, 2010

Best answer: Wow, thanks for all the help guys, but it's no surprise you couldn't get it -- I was pretty far off on the lyrics.

The song is "winning a battle, losing the war" by minizza.
Youtube
It's a pretty little tune.

I ended up calling folks and humming it until one of my more eclectic friends recognized.

Case closed, mystery solved.
posted by chrisph at 9:34 AM on December 7, 2010

We can do this, hivemind, just maybe not with only the information provided. :)

Indie-rock, electronica-y, on the Current, the first thing I think of is the XX which they play a lot, but the lyrics don't sound right. Male-sounding vocals, female-sounding, or both? Googling around with your lyric fragments turns up only a Ray LaMontagne song with the "causes you pain" bit in it -- highly unlikely to be the one you want.

For what it's worth, you/other people answering can search the Current's song catalog, or look through a playlist that covers the past couple hours, to see if anything rings any bells.
posted by clavicle at 9:50 AM on December 7, 2010

...Oh, damn it.
posted by clavicle at 9:51 AM on December 7, 2010

If you like that track, you might also like the original by Kings of Convenience from almost 10 years ago as well as the excellent Andy Votel remix from Versus.
posted by turkeyphant at 10:01 AM on December 7, 2010 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Clavicle -- thank you for the effort! I didn't realize the Current had the searchable song catalog; that is great!

Turkeyphant -- I had no idea it was even a cover. Thank you for the additional links!
posted by chrisph at 1:37 PM on December 7, 2010